Researchers dumped tons of coffee waste into a forest. This is what it looks like now.
30 dump truck loads and two years later, the forest looks totally different.
One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.
So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.
When disposed of improperly, the waste can cause serious damage soil and water sources.
However, a new study published in the British Ecological Society journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence has found that coffee pulp isn't just a nuisance to be discarded. It can have an incredibly positive impact on regrowing deforested areas of the planet.
via British Ecological Society
In 2018, researchers from ETH-Zurich and the University of Hawaii spread 30 dump trucks worth of coffee pulp over a roughly 100' x 130' area of degraded land in Costa Rica. The experiment took place on a former coffee farm that underwent rapid deforestation in the 1950s.
The coffee pulp was spread three-feet thick over the entire area.
Another plot of land near the coffee pulp dump was left alone to act as a control for the experiment.
"The results were dramatic." Dr. Rebecca Cole, lead author of the study, said. "The area treated with a thick layer of coffee pulp turned into a small forest in only two years while the control plot remained dominated by non-native pasture grasses."
In just two years, the area treated with coffee pulp had an 80% canopy cover, compared to just 20% of the control area. So, the coffee-pulp-treated area grew four times more rapidly. Like a jolt of caffeine, it reinvigorated biological activity in the area.
The canopy was also four times taller than that of the control.
The coffee-treated area also eliminated an invasive species of grass that took over the land and prevented forest succession. Its elimination allowed for other native species to take over and recolonize the area.
"This case study suggests that agricultural by-products can be used to speed up forest recovery on degraded tropical lands. In situations where processing these by-products incurs a cost to agricultural industries, using them for restoration to meet global reforestation objectives can represent a 'win-win' scenario," Dr. Cole said.
If the results are repeatable it's a win-win for coffee drinkers and the environment.
Researchers believe that coffee treatments can be a cost-effective way to reforest degraded land. They may also work to reverse the effects of climate change by supporting the growth of forests across the globe.
The 2016 Paris Agreement made reforestation an important part of the fight against climate change. The agreement incentivizes developing countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, promote forest conservation and sustainable management, and enhance forest carbon stocks in developing countries.
"We hope our study is a jumping off point for other researchers and industries to take a look at how they might make their production more efficient by creating links to the global restoration movement," Dr. Cole said.
This article originally appeared on 03.29.21
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9 comics that hilariously show our love/hate relationship with the internet.
The internet can be a wonderful, joy-filled, treasure trove of amazement.
But it can also be a dirge of sadness, anxiety, and general ennui.
In these hilarious comics, Sara Zimmerman of Unearthed Comics gives some insight into the pains, joys, and anxiety that we’ve all experienced online.
Science fiction writer William Gibson wrote in a prescient story for the New York Times way back in 1996: “As new technologies search out and lace over every interstice in the net of global communication, we find ourselves with increasingly less excuse for ... slack."
We share ourselves online in the hopes of being liked, but we are all terrified of being judged and being disliked, and it's hard to cut ourselves and the world some slack.
The internet allows us to connect with friends and family around the globe, watch the latest adorable video of a bulldog riding a skateboard, or ignore the endless pileup of emails in our inboxes.
That's why Zimmerman poignantly uses “The Eye of Sauron” as a metaphor for our anxiety over sharing some photos on Facebook. Because we’ve all had that nagging desire to have power over how many people like our post.
So here are some refreshing comics to give you some perspective on our love/hate relationship with the internet:
1. Love may be one thing we can count on to protect us.
All images by Sara Zimmerman/Unearthed Comics.
2. Being ahead of the game is important.
3. And knowing what works best is a good start.
4. Compassion is key for an enjoyable ride.
5. The simple things don't always turn out the way you plan.
6. It's good to have some perspective.
7. Job descriptions can be flexible.
8. Being productive has different meanings.
9. Time management can get complicated on the web.
These comics are a reminder of how silly the internet really is.
As of June 2016, Facebook reported having over 1.13 billion daily active users. That's a lot of people using just Facebook, let alone the rest of the internet. As technology becomes more ubiquitous around the globe we all grow a little closer but also share in the frustrations that digital communication holds.
So in light of everything the internet offers us, I think we should cut ourselves a little slack when it comes to our relationship with it.